Successful U.S. Presidents Showed Top Qualities

Knowing the traits that forged the best U.S. presidents can help voters grasp what's necessary to succeed in the Oval Office. Tips from authors plugged in to the 43 men who landed the top job:

 Show vision. The best-rated presidents conveyed the direction they wanted to take the nation, says Robert Merry, author of "Where They Stand: The American Presidents in the Eyes of Voters and Historians."

Abraham Lincoln and George Washington, fixtures at the top of historical rankings, exuded that quality of setting a futuristic tone.

Thus Washington shaped the presidency, and Lincoln reshaped the nation.

"(Ronald) Reagan had it too," Merry told IBD. "His concept that it was possible to win the Cold War was visionary. Almost no one else, in or out of government, thought there was any prospect of that."

Alvin Felzenberg, author of "The Leaders We Deserved," set out to answer what distinguished the best, with vision leading to high marks for Lincoln, Washington, Teddy Roosevelt and Reagan.

The first president knew he needed their help to shape the nation. "It's the capacity to take your work seriously, but not yourself," Felzenberg said.

Gautam Mukunda, author of "Indispensable: When Leaders Really Matter," points out that Lincoln, a one-term congressman, had no problem deferring to or overruling his secretary of state, William Seward, who many figured was more qualified to be president.

 Be humble. "It's not just that Lincoln had the ability to reject advice from more qualified people," Mukunda said. "It's that sometimes he listened to the advice, took it seriously and changed his mind."

The 16th president could acknowledge that he very well might be wrong on issues. Mukunda says that attribute prevented Lincoln from making the catastrophic mistakes that someone who lacked humility might make.

Washington and Lincoln were secure enough that they didn't feel they were the smartest people in the room.

The same with Harry Truman. Felzenberg says the 33rd president called George Marshall the greatest man in the country and that if the former Army chief of staff could take the presidency, he'd resign in a minute.

Mukunda grades Truman No. 7, based on a historical ranking average he conducted.

 Character does matter. Felzenberg certainly counts it, using the trait as part of his rankings. The top-ranked presidents who were most upstanding, says the author, were Lincoln, Washington, Reagan, Truman and Dwight Eisenhower.

 Be diverse. Felzenberg found career politicians were less capable as president when rated against men who entered office with varied backgrounds.

Some soldier-presidents — such as Washington, Eisenhower, U.S. Grant and Truman, with their sense of management — rate well in Felzenberg's rankings.

The ones who didn't plan on being president from the time they were little tended to excel, says Felzenberg.

"Political ambition came to Ronald Reagan late in life," he noted.

The author adds that Washington thought he'd die a soldier.

As it turned out, the general won the Revolution and became the father of our country.

Knowing the traits that forged the best U.S. presidents can help voters grasp what's necessary to succeed in the Oval Office. Tips from authors plugged in to the 43 men who landed the top job:

 Show vision. The best-rated presidents conveyed the direction they wanted to take the nation, says Robert Merry, author of "Where They Stand: The American Presidents in the Eyes of Voters and Historians."

Abraham Lincoln and George Washington, fixtures at the top of historical rankings, exuded that quality of setting a futuristic tone.

Thus Washington shaped the presidency, and Lincoln reshaped the nation.

"(Ronald) Reagan had it too," Merry told IBD. "His concept that it was possible to win the Cold War was visionary. Almost no one else, in or out of government, thought there was any prospect of that."

Alvin Felzenberg, author of "The Leaders We Deserved," set out to answer what distinguished the best, with vision leading to high marks for Lincoln, Washington, Teddy Roosevelt and Reagan.

The first president knew he needed their help to shape the nation. "It's the capacity to take your work seriously, but not yourself," Felzenberg said.

Gautam Mukunda, author of "Indispensable: When Leaders Really Matter," points out that Lincoln, a one-term congressman, had no problem deferring to or overruling his secretary of state, William Seward, who many figured was more qualified to be president.

 Be humble. "It's not just that Lincoln had the ability to reject advice from more qualified people," Mukunda said. "It's that sometimes he listened to the advice, took it seriously and changed his mind."

The 16th president could acknowledge that he very well might be wrong on issues. Mukunda says that attribute prevented Lincoln from making the catastrophic mistakes that someone who lacked humility might make.

Washington and Lincoln were secure enough that they didn't feel they were the smartest people in the room.

The same with Harry Truman. Felzenberg says the 33rd president called George Marshall the greatest man in the country and that if the former Army chief of staff could take the presidency, he'd resign in a minute.

Mukunda grades Truman No. 7, based on a historical ranking average he conducted.

 Character does matter. Felzenberg certainly counts it, using the trait as part of his rankings. The top-ranked presidents who were most upstanding, says the author, were Lincoln, Washington, Reagan, Truman and Dwight Eisenhower.

 Be diverse. Felzenberg found career politicians were less capable as president when rated against men who entered office with varied backgrounds.

Some soldier-presidents — such as Washington, Eisenhower, U.S. Grant and Truman, with their sense of management — rate well in Felzenberg's rankings.

The ones who didn't plan on being president from the time they were little tended to excel, says Felzenberg.

"Political ambition came to Ronald Reagan late in life," he noted.

The author adds that Washington thought he'd die a soldier.

As it turned out, the general won the Revolution and became the father of our country.

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